Taipei is the capital of Taiwan, a dense and walkable city of night markets, hot springs, temples, and mountain trails set in a basin ringed by green hills. Its skyline is anchored by Taipei 101, while the National Palace Museum holds one of the world's great collections of Chinese imperial art. Taipei pairs an efficient metro, a famously food-obsessed street culture, and easy access to hot springs and tea-growing hills within the city limits.
- Public
- Taipei Metro (MRT) covers the city and the airport line, supplemented by dense city buses, YouBike bike share, and the THSR and TRA rail networks; one EasyCard or iPass works on nearly all of them
- Taxi
- Yellow taxis are plentiful and metered, with Uber and the Taiwan Taxi (55688) app widely used; fares are low by international standards
- Rental
- Unnecessary in the city, where parking is scarce and the MRT is fast; useful only for the north coast, Yangmingshan and mountain areas, and requires an international permit plus a home licence
- Walking
- Central districts are walkable but hot, humid and rainy for much of the year, with arcaded sidewalks (qilou) offering shelter and scooters often parked on pavements
Transport at a glance
- Public
- 5/5
- Taxi
- 4/5
- Rental
- 2/5
- Walking
- 3/5
Airport transfers
Getting from the airport to your accommodation.
| Option | Cost | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Taxis & rideshare
What to expect from taxis and apps.
- Overview
- Metered yellow taxis with a flag fare of about NT$85 (about US$3); night surcharge of NT$20 (about US$1) from 23:00-06:00; tipping not expected; Uber and 55688 apps accepted.
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Taipei is one of Asia's easiest cities to navigate. The Taipei Metro (MRT) has several colour-coded lines reaching most sights, the Taoyuan Airport MRT connects Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) with Taipei Main Station, and buses and YouBike bike share fill the gaps. One stored-value EasyCard or iPass pays for the MRT, buses, YouBike, the Maokong Gondola and many shops. Intercity travel is handled by the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR, stations at Nangang, Taipei Main, Banqiao) and Taiwan Railway (TRA), and Songshan Airport (TSA) in the city centre serves domestic and some regional flights.
Airports
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport
Taipei Songshan Airport
Useful apps
Download before you arrive.
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Buy an EasyCard (sold at MRT stations and convenience stores) or use an iPass; both also pay on buses, YouBike, TRA local trains and in convenience stores
MRT fares are about 20% cheaper with a card than with a single-journey token, and card users get transfer discounts between MRT and buses
Eating and drinking are banned inside MRT stations and trains, with fines up to NT$7,500 (about US$236); wait until exiting the gates
Stand on the right of escalators and leave the left free; queue at the floor markings on platforms
Take the Taoyuan Airport MRT Express from TPE to Taipei Main Station in about 35 minutes rather than a taxi during peak traffic
Use the Google Maps or Taipei Metro Go app for real-time MRT and bus arrivals; Uber and 55688 help when the MRT stops running around midnight
Take the THSR to Taichung or Kaohsiung for a fast, punctual trip and reserve Taiwan Railway (TRA) Puyuma or Taroko tickets well ahead for east-coast weekends
Show the driver the destination written in Chinese characters, as many taxi drivers speak little English